Aberlour 17 yr Double-Cask Cask Strength 55.3% ABV Website What the Bottle Says Aberlour Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Double Cask First Fill Sherry and Bourbon Cask 17 Years Old
Nose: Hints of cinnamon, baked apples and ginger intermingled with luscious dark chocolate and treacle toffee. Taste: Rich and tangy on the pallet at first, followed by a burst of sweet orange and apricot flavors with delicate dark chocolate notes. Finish: Long finish with a lingering spice.
What Gary Says Nose: Thick, rich sherry dark fruit – raisins, oranges, honey spent fireworks, burnt toast, subtle nuttiness. Palate: Rich sweet, creamy mouthfeel that then sharpens, dark fruit/plum jam with notes of oak; water brings the sweet more to raisins with a pepper spice. Finish: Moderate to long in length, sweet yet tart while drying. Comments: Another pickup by Richard while visiting (no mention of on their web-site, and no price). By comparison with the Aberlour 17yr CS, the sherry influence here is pretty apparent, but that smokey, spent matches, sulfur note is also still present, even when adding water (water tamped the heat a bit, but not the smokiness as much). If you like a really smokey whiskey, this might be the bees knees. I found it to be better balanced than the other though. Rating: Average/Stands Out
Aberlour 17 yr Cask Strength The Distillery Reserve Collection 50.2% ABV Website What the Bottle Says The Distillery Reserve Collection [Non Chill-Filtered] Aberlour Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whiskey Aged 17 Years The Distillery Reserve collection is a limited release of rare and exceptional whiskies from Chivas Brothers single malt whisky distilleries. Each release is bottled at cask strength. Distilled: 12th December 1997 Bottled: 8th July 2015 Cask Nos: 17749,17756-58, 17771 1 of 1380 50cl bottles
What Gary Says Nose: Sharp/astringent, tart cherries, spongecake, hazelnuts with spent matches; bit of water brings out more citrus notes with the cherries and hints of caramel with dark chocolate. Palate: Subtle sweetness w/ oranges, apricots and honey, then sharpens to a sulphury, oaky, spicy tobacco note; hints of toffee and cherry; bit of water brings out the oranges and honey a bit more. Finish: Moderately long, and drying with smoke. Comments: This was a distillery exclusive that Richard picked up while visiting a few years ago, and as such no mention of it on their web-site (and not sure what the price paid was). This drank pretty hot for the proof, and has a lot of sulfur, spent matches. It does take water well, although the smoke was still fairly acrid for me. Next going to review an Aberlour 17yr Double-Cask cask strength, which was an interesting comparison. Rating: Average
Old Bardstown Bottled In Bond 50% ABV $22 – $25 Website What the Distiller Says Tasting notes courtesy of Bill Thomas, Jack Rose Dining Saloon The nose is “Fun Dip” candy, that sugary stick dipped into cherry flavoring. The palate is a cherry hard candy, an oily mouth feel, vanilla caramel candies and notes of oak. This is the best value in Bourbon for 2016. Please Note: This Bourbon is exclusively available in Kentucky.
What Gary Says Nose: Vanilla wafers, grape bubble gum, young malt, a hint of anise with a sharp oakey solvent note. Palate: Tart cherries, caramel, a fruity/grape juice note with cracked pepper; a thin mouthfeel. Finish: Short and dry with pepper. Comments: I’m a fan of bottled-in-bond bourbon. While four years old may still be on the young side, there are a lot of solid bourbons that carry the bottled-in-bond designation. This didn’t remind me of any of them. Honestly, if given this blind and asked to guess what it was, “bourbon” wouldn’t be one of my first three guesses! Some have posted the mashbill for this as having 15% malted barley, which if true is a higher barley content than most other bourbons out there – and may account for the unique aroma and flavor. I’m not sure I can say it is exactly off-putting, since I particularly enjoy finding unique and interesting drams to ponder over! But if you’re looking for a classic bourbon profile – I think many might be disappointed. Rating: Probably Pass
Highland Park VALKNUT 46.8% ABV $80 Website What the Distiller Says In partnership with renowned Danish designer Jim Lyngvild, Highland Park VALKNUT is the second in a series of three Viking Legends releases inspired by the rich Viking heritage and mythology of Highland Park’s Orkney Islands home. The first expression, VALKYRIE, was released in mid-2017 to critical acclaim, winning the Ultimate Spirits Challenge’s highest accolade, the Chairman’s Trophy for Best in Category, with a 99/100 score.
Viking sagas tell of the Valkyries, the fierce angels of Norse mythology who combed the battlefields for the bravest fallen warriors. Vikings who met an honorable death were marked out by the symbol of the Valknut and spirited away by the Valkyries to Valhalla to join Odin’s mighty army and prepare for Ragnarok, the battle of the end of the world.
VALKNUT means “knot of those killed in battle” and is represented visually by three interlinked triangles. This symbol is closely associated with the Norse god Odin, who guided the spirits of the dead to Valhalla.
“VALKNUT is a bolder, more intense style of Highland Park with a drier and smokier profile and a higher ABV than VALKYRIE. It has been matured predominantly in American sherry seasoned oak casks with a slightly higher phenolic level compared to VALKYRIE,” says Jason Craig, Highland Park’s Global Brand Director. “We’ve also used a small amount of Orkney-grown tartan barley, which adds to its smokier edge and lingering sweet, spicy finish.”
Nose: Toasted vanilla pods, cracked black pepper, oak shavings, cloves, anise, aromatic smoke Palate: Sweet, aromatic cloves join forces with tangy hints of anise Finish: Intensely balanced and bold; leaves a lingering memory of aromatic peat smoke and sweet spices
What Gary Says Nose: Rich smokey sweetness, dark fruit, vanilla, anise, subtle spice notes beneath wisps of sea air and brine. Palate: Creamy mouthfeel, sweet with raisins, cloves, almonds and a subtle earthiness. Finish: Moderately long, drying with smoke and pepper spice. Comments: Very nice! Balanced, less sherry-forward than Highland Park 12 or 18 yr, but with that sea air/smokiness that I love in their offerings. I find more complexity on the nose than in the palate, but nothing off-putting in either – and both are well balanced. I think fans of Highland Park are unlikely to be disappointed! Rating: Stands Out
We would like to thank Highland Park and Forte Mare for sending us a sample to review.
Little Book Chapter 2: Noe Simple Task 59.4% ABV $90 – $100 Website What the Blender Says
FREDDIE’S NOTE As the name implies, this round of Little Book was a long journey that really tested my skills as a blender. Maybe I jinxed myself naming my first batch “the Easy.” Superstitions aside, I spent a lot of time in the lab on this one. I tried almost forty different recipes. But in the end, all that hard work paid off and we landed on a one-of-a-kind whiskey I’m really proud of.
The road to Noe Simple Task started when I visited our Canadian distilleries in early 2017. I enjoy travelling to different places in the world to see how they distill their spirits. There, I was able to taste some great Canadian whisky straight out of the barrel. I was really drawn to the fruit and floral notes they achieve. I wanted to know more.
Later in the year I went back for a deeper dive to learn all about their process. And taste some more great whisky. This was a step outside my comfort zone. The rules and laws for making whiskey in Kentucky that I grew up with don’t apply up there. But I came back inspired and began blending.
Now, while the flavors of the Canadian whisky had piqued my interest, my heart still lies in Kentucky. So I was excited about the idea of bringing the best of both worlds together. Knowing I wanted to blend with Kentucky Straight Rye, I started experimenting with different Canadian whiskies, trying to pull in those fruity and floral notes. They use a lot of different barrels to age up there, so I was able to play around with a lot of different flavors. I was looking for something that would round out the blend and really showcase the nuances of both the American and Canadian whiskies. In the end, I found the 40-year-old whisky and 13-year-old rye helped me achieve exactly what I wanted—a truly balanced and refined whiskey with a nice, lingering finish that’s full of flavor.
Blend Overview:
13-year-old, uncut and unfiltered1 Canadian rye whisky at 111.9 proof
8-year-old, uncut and unfiltered1 Kentucky straight rye whiskey at 119.8 proof
40-year-old, uncut and unfiltered1 Canadian whisky at 137.8 proof
Proof: 118.8
Tasting Notes: Little Book “Noe Simple Task” features floral and fruity notes that balance out the spice from the rye whiskies in the final blend. The finish is long, lingering and spicy with notes of caramel. Sipping Suggestions: Neat, over ice, or with a few drops of water
1While we get every last ounce of charred oak flavor from our barrels, we make sure any actual pieces of barrel wood are left behind at the distillery.
What Gary Says Nose: Evergreen/pine with mint, maple syrup, cloves, nutmeg and subtle dried fruit. Palate: Warm and sweet, vanilla, caramel, mincemeat pie with raisins and apples. Finish: Moderately long, thick with a cinnamon note. Comments: I’m a fan of Canadian rye, and the nose screams that to me – more so than the Kentucky rye which is more aggressive. There are some typical notes found in both (for me, mint and some of the baking spices), but I find evergreen notes often in the Canadian rye whiskies. On the palate, it is far more balanced – sweet with those baking spices. Sipping neat, this drinks easier than 118.8 proof. I wasn’t a big fan of the first Little Book release, but this is damn tasty whiskey; one I could just sip and enjoy or take my time pondering. Fairly complex, balanced, and just delicious. Would I love to see this at a lower price point? Sure, but hard to argue that there are other similar pours out there to be had for less (for starters, hard to find something similar!) If you know you like Canadian rye whiskey, I’d call this a ‘Must Try’. Rating: Stands Out/Must Try
We would like to thank Beam Suntory and Multiply for sending us a sample to review.
